


My Top 10 Episodes of TVD Season 4

by badboy_fangirl



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Gen, Meta, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:54:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10803096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badboy_fangirl/pseuds/badboy_fangirl
Summary: etc





	My Top 10 Episodes of TVD Season 4

Perhaps it's unsurprising that this is the longest version of this season recap I've ever done; but really, S4 is the Season of Damon and Elena, far more than any other, and thus my pontificating about them is unrestrained. Also, some of my remarks might lead one to think I hate Stefan; I don't hate him, but I do despise a lot of his actions, so fair warning if you're a Stefan fan.

**My 10 Favorite Episodes of TVD Season Four  
**

**10) 4x23 "Graduation"**

I was hard-pressed choosing between this episode and "Because the Night" because Damon is so hot in that episode, but that was really not a good enough reason to put an episode on the list, even in the last spot--however, the scene of Lexi and Stefan rocking out to Bon Jovi reminds me that when I first met Lexi, I liked her, and after learning of Damon's duping of her in "Because the Night" I almost liked her again. And it never fails to amuse me that Stefan's favorite band is also my favorite band. The one thing we have in common is the one thing I know is kinda lame about myself. Ah, well.

Mostly, the fun part of this episode is all the eavesdropping that's going on. Oh, and Stefan being all smart-assy and planning to go live in a _yurt_. And Bonnie being DEAD and nobody knowing about it until the very end when she and Jer finally reunite for an all-too-brief moment.

But then of course, there's all the other people back from the dead and their adventures, like Alaric and Jeremy woofing down cheeseburgers, and our lovely Welsh hunter, Vaughn, shooting Damon with a werewolf venom-laced bullet, and Rebekah's ex-boyfriend who puts her in a position to make out with Matt before she blows herself up. There are others, but those are my faves, and I already know this is going to be ridiculously long, so let's get to the main events.

There's Katherine, getting her just desserts, in a completely unexpected way. No lie, I thought for sure that Damon would get the Cure, since he didn't want it _the mostest_. Elena shoving it down Katherine's throat was probably one of the best twists of the series for me.

Then there's Damon. And Elena. Each denying the other the possibility of saving the other in some small way, and then gloriously fighting over it. So, there's Elena smacking the shit out of Damon. And then there's Damon being all _I'M NOT SORRY!_ And there's Elena loving him anyway, as we always knew she did.

There is Klaus, making a huge declaration that is supposed to sustain us for the duration of how long _The Originals_ last? And presuming the show outlasts TVD, will Caroline end up in NOLA? Only time will tell.

There's Stefan, finally accepting what he's known all along, then getting the very short end of a BIG SURPRISE REVEAL stick. Stefan is Silas' doppelganger, which leads to my two biggest questions for S5: does everyone have a doppelganger? And what is Silas' purpose in taking over Stefan's life?

 **Favorite Damon line:** _I didn't say you were supposed to be okay with it, I just said I'm not sorry._

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Elena, who says, _You've been a terrible person. You made all the wrong choices, and of all the choices I have made, this is going to prove to be the worst one, but I'm not sorry that I'm in love with you! I love you, Damon. I love yo--_ *face mashing* [*Fangirls squeeing until the end of time*]

**9) 4x03 "The Rager"**

This is the other one I truly struggled with placing on the list--it was this versus "Growing Pains." Mostly I wanted to put GP on the list because of the way they dealt with Elena's compelled-away memories and her transition, but in the end, I had to go with this episode because of all the things Elena is, she is and should be an ANGRY girl. She's had shit luck for going on two years now, and if anyone should have some pent up frustration, it's her. So her trying to deal with that trumped the romanticism from 4x01.

We all know that Damon is the leader of the Scooby-Doo Gang, but this episode solidifies that fact when Tyler calls Damon to tell him that Connor venom-jacked him, and Jeremy calls Damon after Connor tells him he's a potential hunter. Those are just a couple details I love about this episode.

With Damon and Stefan being at odds over Elena, Damon attempts to make Meredith his new BFF. It's the buddyship that never sailed because she wouldn't play into it, which in reality made me like Meredith so much. But, I still long to write buddyship fic because of their interactions here.

Rebekah playing the Mean Girl at the top of her game is just the best. She'll always be my favorite, period.

Damon giving Elena the White Oak Stake is another "missing" scene that drives me crazy since Elena describes it to Stefan later as "reluctant." Elena barely being able to contain her attraction to Damon is just delicious, too, not to mention his purposeful antagonism of her *see the above photos*. Then, when she's making out with Stefan later, and she's all hopped up on werewolf venom, we see even more of the truth that Elena is coming to about her desires. And it freaks her the fuck out.

I totally fell for the Tyler-cheated-on-Caroline red herring. I also liked Hayley and Tyler, and the idea of them. I just love Klaus' bitchface when Hayley insults him. Just, LOL, 1000 year old vampire who gets his feelers hurt when the new girl in town isn't enamored of him. But also, Klaus' very real judgement of Tyler is delightful. He just says so much with his expressions: you know, if he ever got Caroline, he'd _never_ cheat on her (or at least he thinks he never would).

And while Klaus sparks brilliantly with Caroline, who he really shines with are the Salvatores. The Klaus-Damon tag-team is one of those things that always makes me want more, but alas the Klaus-Damon scenes tend to be few and far between. Then Stefan calls Klaus to come save Elena, and they snipe at each other like ex-boyfriends always do.

And my favorite is Stefan calling Caroline to be his sober sponsor while Damon volunteers to be Elena's. Because that, my friends, is endgame, you know. :D

 **Favorite Damon line:** _Okay, it's a kitten. It's an adorable, exploding kitten!_

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Jeremy, who says, _See, I told you I could be a badass!_

**8) 4x10 "After School Special" ******

I love this episode for many reasons, but mostly because Rebekah gets to be the tour de force a 1000 year old vampire should be. And, I'm sorry, but Stefan deserves every nasty thing she does to him after he manipulated her so Klaus could dagger her and put her under wraps again. Thank God for April Young, who appears to be the only person who cares about Beks.

We are also introduced to Bonnie's dad, finally. And I have to wonder, why is she Bonnie Bennett, not Bonnie Hopkins? [Completely superficial note: I love Bonnie's sweater in this episode.] Bonnie nearly killing April Young to save Shane is awesome though, because she has no idea what she's doing, and she just barrels on ahead. Shane's fanboy moment when he meets Rebekah and Kol is awesome, too. And Kol being the only one who is sufficiently scared of Silas: oy, we all should have realized you'd die shortly, oh Littlest Original.

Anyway, let's get to Stefan, in the Library, with the truth hitting him in the face. It's important to note that Rebekah reveals that Stefan would have willingly taken the Cure and grown old with Elena, and then Elena uses that exact turn of phrase on Damon a few episodes later. Aside from what Beks forces out of Elena (making her face it as well as Stefan and Caroline) about what she feels for Damon, I really don't see how there is hope for Stefan and Elena. I don't mean that in a mean way--I mean it in a logical way. Even if Damon and Elena don't last (which could very well happen), I don't see Elena ever going back to Stefan. Ever. She has outgrown him, as well as fallen out of love with him. It's just _so_ over. Let's couple it with the fact that Stefan rewrites history, or at the very least intimates that he cannot forgive her for sleeping with Damon, and then he proceeds to invite Rebekah to make him forget he ever knew her. O M G, Stefan. I mean, for a 164 year old creature, he has the emotional maturity of a gnat, I swear. And I cannot help but compare his response to the pain of Elena not being in love with him to Damon's death-bed confession from 2x22. He'd do it all again, just to know Elena, just to experience what he experienced in knowing her, without ever having truly received the gift of her love. And Elena, finally understanding her own motivation, fully embraces what she feels, once it's out there. Again, something that she wouldn't have done before her self-acceptance journey that occurs in 4x06, but that comes later on this list.

I get it, the Salvatore brothers are two different people, and thus they appeal to different people, too, but it's stuff like that that causes my ill regard of Stefan, plain and simple.

Damon and Jeremy and their antagonistic relationship is something I have never gotten enough of on-camera, so this episode is a fave just for their interaction; bringing Matt and Klaus into the mix just makes it all the more enjoyable. And Damon shooting Klaus for Carol Lockwood always brings a metaphorical tear to my eye. Speaking of Lockwoods, Tyler's valiant effort not to kill everyone after Rebekah compels him to turn is a little bit comical because it's like he's in labor there for a second. But still, good onya, Ty.

Okay, and let's just talk about Damon Salvatore's face of perfection. Elena telling Damon she loves him for the first time over the phone is a direct callback/parallel to their last emotionally charged phone conversation where he was supposed to die, but she chose his brother and died herself instead. Besides the fact that if anyone should be alone when he gets his heart's desire, it's Damon, simply because his messy emotions are something he shouldn't have to bare to anyone. Knowing Elena loves him, but having time to process that before she's going to spring it on him again: that's something he's gonna need. And I can't think of a single moment of acting that is more powerful to watch than everything that happens on that man's face and in his eyes after she tells him how she feels. Simply magnificent.

 **Favorite Damon line:** ... *his look of gratitude towards the heavens (Ric?) after he hangs up the phone after Elena declares her love*

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Rebekah, who says, _So! Vampire!Elena is a trollop who likes bad boys, which explains why Stefan reeks of alcohol._

**7) 4x08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street"**

There's very little to be said about the opening of this episode (though I'm still shocked months later at what they showed on 8 o'clock television) as I address the level of intensity shown in Damon and Elena's love scenes in my discussion of 4x07 (which comes later), but I do have to say that I truly enjoy Damon's happiness, and the addressing of said happiness. One might just chalk it up to he got laid, or even that he finally got to sleep with Elena, whom we know he's desired for so long, but the truth of it is very simple: I would say that Damon's happiness stems from the fact that he feels loved by the person he loves, and that's the source of his happiness.

The thing that makes Damon and Elena so irresistible for me is all their touching. It's just this instinctive thing they do with each other, and it is so endearing, so I have to mention it. Plus, they've been saving up for so long, and now they just can't get enough. I love all the fingertip touching.

But, of course, what this episode is really about is Damon and Stefan's relationship. And Damon's fear that Elena might not really love him--not because it's an impossibility, but just because, well, she did say _it was always going to be Stefan_. This has been discussed at length, but is so the crux of this conflict that it must be mentioned again: Damon, a master manipulator, someone who has cared nothing for many that he has used and abused, always had one thing going for him when it came to Elena: the things he compelled her to forget were about him, not about her. He never manipulated her mind about what she thought about him; her love and appreciation for him was born from a pure place: it was _real_ , he could trust it. Sure, it might never be what she felt for Stefan, but that didn't make it unimportant. Now suddenly, even that is in jeopardy. The irony is just too much, and if you believe in karma, exactly what Damon deserves. The agony of thinking her every touch was not her true desire? _Oh, god._ I mean, I could cry for him, just thinking about it, truly. 

Now, back to the brothers: Damon gets right to work. He has a problem to solve, so he gets to it. Stefan tags along, because he doesn't know what else to do, as usual. Damon doesn't immediately dispel any of Stefan's wrong perceptions of him, and Stefan projects by assuming the worst of his brother, yet again. And Lexi just makes things worse between them, like always. Dysfunction, thy name is Salvatore. And yet, it takes so little for Damon to let bygones be bygones. This episode always makes me wonder, too, what happens between 1942 and 2009 to make Damon so angry at Stefan again. I hope we find out next season.

I also love the realization of both brothers: Elena's feelings are not new, and they have both known this for a long time, but still an objective third party giving witness to it is a whole new ball game. And the scene between Damon and Charlotte, as he sets her "free" is one of the most poignant for a man who never cared before about the impact he had. Now that's all he cares about, and it's the worst feeling ever. Especially with Stefan laying claim to "what's right" and Damon losing all sense of true north for himself. This is the beginning of what is Damon's most interesting arc: the one where he doesn't trust himself, when he's been the only one he could count on for 146 years. And besides Stefan's obvious flaws, Damon does see him as the "moral" one. I happen to see him as the sanctimonious one, but that's me.

This episode actually contains the one portion of this season that bothered me the most: The fact that they won't let Caroline directly address what her problem is with Damon, and why she's so _rah, rah!_ Team Stefan. And Elena's moment of slut!shaming her really rubs me wrong. With the way this show tends to turn everything else on its ear, I'd be so appreciative if they would address it. Just once. With more than a "You suck," from Caroline. The closest we'll probably ever get is when Caroline tells Elena it's not her fault and that Damon took advantage of her--which is _not_ true in Elena's case, but _is_ true of Caroline. I love Elena's she-cat reaction to it, though. She won't let Caroline talk smack about her relationship, and I love that territorial moment.

But more than that, I really love the final scene of this episode, and the complete non-resolution of what's going on. The whole existential question of what is love, and what feels good, and whether or not that should be pursued at any cost--and Damon and Elena switching places; she is finally the one who loves unreservedly, even knowing it might be flawed. She no longer cares about semantics. But Damon, poor Damon, he's just beginning to, and that's going to take them to a very interesting place.

And we finally figure out what Shane is up to: Teaching Bonnie Expression, the baddest, nastiest magic around. [And the reveal that a witch duped Damon, yet again, never fails to amuse me. They always give him a hard time, one way or another.]

This is also Tyler Lockwood's greatest moment, at least for me. I love him taking his rightful place as the Alpha.

 **Favorite Damon line:** _It looks to me, the only reason you want to break Elena's sire bond, is to restore her original factory Team Stefan settings._

 **Favorite pieces of dialogue** goes to Tyler, who says, _The bond affects how you act, not how you feel,_ and Elena, who says, _Fine, yeah, I've changed. So have you, Damon. And I'm happy._

**6) 4x09 "O Come All Ye Faithful"**

My favorite things in this episode are not Damon and Elena related (shock of shocks!), though I enjoy their angst very, very much, and think the opening scene with them is one of Ian Somerhalder's prettiest. But really, I love the Bonnie/Jeremy and the Stefan/Caroline and the Klaus/Murder stuffies even more.

Let me elaborate!

Caroline sides with Stefan over Tyler, _her boyfriend_. I have always believed Caroline didn't love Tyler quite as much as she thinks she does, and perhaps this comes down to loyalty amongst species, but the truth is Caroline is loyal to Stefan, period. She's loyal to him over Damon (for obvious reasons), and she's loyal to him over Elena (see how she spills the beans about Damon and Elena's hook-up), and she's loyal to him over Tyler. Granted her motivation here is to keep Tyler from housing Klaus' essence and then hanging out in concrete for the rest of however long, but she doesn't give a rat's ass about Tyler's hybrid friends, period. She doesn't care about what Tyler cares about. 

The horrible things Hunter!Jeremy says to Elena, cutting her so deeply, leads to a Damon-tervention: he makes Jeremy 'fess up to still having a thing for Bonnie. It's all kinds of adorable and awkward. I think I ship Bonnie and Jeremy so much because they aren't passion driven; their bond is different, but nonetheless important. Their love has always been doomed, because as Bonnie tells Jeremy way back in S2, it doesn't end well for people like her.

Klaus killing the hybrids to Christmas music: I know a lot of people found that in poor taste; I'm a Christian, but I loved it. It was gross, and that's the point. Let's remember, always and forever: Klaus is gross. He is. He killed Aunt Jenna. He can never be forgiven, even if as Stefan says, they've all done terrible things. Yes, they have, but as Damon tells Klaus in "A View To Kill," Klaus usually kills just to be a dick; he has no purpose other than to hurt people. He's not protecting himself, or even a loved one. He's just trying to hurt Tyler.

Minor things: We get more Damon/Shane; Shane reveals his importance, Tyler and Carol have one of their great mother/son moments, that foreshadows the horror that comes at the end, the loss of another Mayor Lockwood. April Young, bless her, gets Rebekah out of cold storage. Hayley's agenda is finally revealed, and she protects Tyler as best she can, but I'm sure he'd rather Klaus got him than what happens instead.

However, the sweetness of Damon and Elena cannot go unnoticed; they are simply lovely, even when he's being stupidly noble and she's being uncommonly obedient. This is the only time the sire bond seems legit to me; I'd still be willing to find a Shane-hypnotized-Elena loophole :D Or just say that Elena loves Damon, so she attempts to please him by leaving, against her better judgement.

 **Favorite Damon line:** _I wanna throw you back in my bed and never let you leave._

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Stefan, who says, _Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, you know._

**5) 4x02 "Memorial"**

This episode, more than anything, is a homage to Ric. I remember how surprised I was when he turned up in the graveyard with Damon, and how I started crying instantly. 

But, I'm getting ahead of myself by addressing the end first. Knowing what we know now, having seen the whole season, and considering how much you buy into the sire bond thing, the most important question is: when Elena pukes up the blood while making out with Stefan, is it because Damon said she can't drink blood except from the vein, or because she knows he wouldn't want her getting it on with Stefan?

Damon getting pissy with everyone accusing him of murder is super entertaining, and just something I can't resist mentioning.

Stefan being completely oblivious to Elena's problems and her playing along to make him happy, oh, their dysfunction never fails to make me cringe harder than I've ever cringed before. Contrast that with her going (to accuse Damon of murder) and being totally honest with Damon. Because she can tell him anything, and be accepted. And then we have that lovely Blood Sharing scene, which at the time, was so hot to me. I remember feeling like it surpassed 3x19. I've since changed my mind, but it's still pretty damn hot. I also think if the sire bond was really real, she'd have been able to digest his blood, just sayin'.

Then Damon brings her a new dress like the best not-boyfriend ever, consoles and reassures her, and then tells Stefan off in the best way ever, by revealing their oh-so-intimate exchange. Just because he's a terrible person like that.

We meet April Young for the first time, who I like, mostly because she becomes Rebekah's BFF; Bonnie and Stefan have a cool scene together; Jeremy can see Connor's ink while Matt cannot; Caroline shows Elena temperance that neither Stefan nor Damon seem really capable of.

All the stuff at the church is my favorite, tons of ensemble work that reminds me of why I love this show so much: Damon 'taking care of the kids' by telling them not to turn around and expose themselves; Matt letting Elena feed from him; Tyler taking one for the team. Love it all.

The episode wraps up with the illustration of just how ambiguously irritating Stefan can be--showing his anger at Elena for feeding on Damon, making her issues all about him, rather than her, as usual, and then listing off Zach, Lexi, and Ric at the lantern lighting ceremony. I mean, it feels like he's purposely poking at Damon, I guess because he's pissed at him, but it just makes me want to punch Stefan in the face. Again.

 **Favorite Damon line:** _Well, here's a newsflash, we're not Japanese!_

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Matt, who says, _If there's anything I can do, you know, short of giving her a ride...you'll let me know, right?_

**4) 4x21 "She's Come Undone"**

Considering that two more very strongly Elena-centric episodes lie ahead on this list, it was hard to put this one down as low as #4, but it was a necessary evil because of just _what_ lies ahead. For me, this episode is powerful on a couple of fronts not Elena-centric, and those things are a) Damon Salvatore being the BAMF he is and getting shit done, and b) Matty Donovan being Elena's oldest (from the crib) friend, and taking that friendship to the line. 

The B-Plot of this episode, the Bonnie/Katherine _Let's Make a Deal_ , is one of the most interesting and surprising exchanges we've been privy to. Following Elijah leaving Katerina for his brother (and his future niece or nephew), she's vulnerable to a proposal of invincibility. So, if she can't have love, she'll take power, just like always. And Bonnie's game of Hide and Seek with Silas takes a very freaky turn--because after Carol Lockwood's death, Liz Forbes' fate seems very delicate. And who doesn't cry when Caroline cries? I just can't stop myself.

But, this is really about Elena, who has always been the biggest BAMF in Mystic Falls. She's the girl who stabbed herself to broker a deal with Elijah, and sliced her own neck to call Evilaric's bluff, so really it shouldn't be any surprise that she does the same to Damon and Stefan, and really thank goodness she does, because you know the moment she tells them she knows she has nothing to fear because they won't permanently damage her, Damon's mind starts spinning, but it's Katherine who is the true catalyst. Who'd ever think we'd be thankful for Katherine's machinations? 

And he finds the answer to the question: What will bring Elena back to them?

Death led her to switch it off, and death will cause her to switch it back. And there had to be a reason that Elena tossed Jeremy's eternity ring to Damon right before she burned her house down. It is perfectly awful, and exactly what has to happen to bring her back. Don't worry, though, folks. Matty and Damon has a plan.

 **Favorite Damon line:** _I don't think that's what he meant._

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Elena, who says, _No. No, I'm not okay._

**3) 4x07 "My Brother's Keeper"**

This episode, to me, is everything that's right with the way Damon and Elena _are_ and everything that's wrong with the way they are _perceived_. So, let me elaborate, but also I possibly have a few other things to say unrelated to them. :-) Just a few. 

Stefan and Caroline and all their completely wrong conclusions-- _Elena's right,_ Stefan says, _becoming a vampire really has changed her._ As if she didn't feel this way about Damon all along. It's just that now, she wants to act upon it. Stefan Salvatore, sometimes the mayor of Denialville, sometimes the perpetrator of truth: remember last season when he tried to force Elena to admit she was in love with Damon?

Then there's Damon trying to be there for Stefan and Stefan being a complete tool about it: It's not that I don't think Stefan shouldn't be hurt, but it will never fail to annoy me that he acts as though Damon doesn't give a shit about him. Meanwhile he's pushing Jeremy forward in his huntery-ness even though he knows it will upset Elena, though obviously he doesn't know it's going to drive Jeremy to want to kill her. And Damon, because he's the smartest one around, knows instantly when Jeremy is a no-show that it has something to do with his brother and his shadiness.

Professor Shane and Damon, they are magical. I especially love the fact that Shane wasn't afraid of Damon, not one bit. It makes him so much more formidable. And then it leads to Damon and Tyler having an on-screen moment, something we haven't seen since S2, right?

Matt being concerned about Jeremy and all his newfound hunter qualities before we even know exactly how scary that's gonna be; I also love the callback to Damon stepping in for Stefan when Matt does it for April when Jeremy flakes out, you know, due to his hunter problem. Which, again, the show is playing with freewill by having Jeremy unable to control his desire to kill his sister.

Klaus and Caroline and all their charming antagonism: It's like they just make me love them even though I know I shouldn't. Klaus's concern for Caroline over the fake break-up is adorable and endearing. I also LOVE it when he intervenes as Caroline starts freaking out about Elena's feelings for Damon. And I liked Tyler and Hayley, too bad we never really got any of that.

Damon and Elena. Elena and Damon. Okay, first I have to talk about the "safe is good" scene, because DUH. But what I love most about this exchange is not the heavy-handed dichotomy between the Salvatore brothers (though who in their right mind thinks Stefan is safe is beyond me! If we want to talk about the way she feels about Stefan being safe, I'm all for that, however), but Elena's very typical girl-reaction to the fact that Damon remembers what color dress she wore the year before. Nina's conveyance of what every woman feels when the guy she's into remembers a detail about her that she didn't expect him to is pure perfection, and to me, that is what this scene is about: Elena realizing that her feelings for Damon match Damon's feelings for her. [And of all the sire bond "evidence" this one is the least convincing to me because of that.] The fact that it prompts her to tell him so is so long overdue, but so perfect, too, that I cannot complain about the fact that it took so long to finally happen. And I love Elena's advice to April just before she pursues Damon: _Whichever one you want to wear, April._ Because that's what's finally happening to our protagonist. She's finally doing what she wants to, instead of what she should do. And it's so glorious. [Also, as a side note, I love Elena's dress. It's just so so so lovely.]

I've said it so many times, and will undoubtedly say it again, but Ian Somerhalder's perfect face is perfect. Damon's every emotion is right there and so readily available that it often takes my breath, but the scene when Elena tells him he's the reason she and Stefan broke up might be his finest piece of subtlety. Just the fact that she takes him so by surprise...ugh. [Oh, wait, I still think his work in "After School Special" is my favorite. But this is my second favorite, at least for this season.]

The look Damon and Elena share when she arrives at the Boarding House always makes me certain that there is a missing scene from the pageant; after Elena tells Stefan to let her go and he turns and leaves, she and Damon talk. Damon invites her to come stay at his house. There are six bedrooms after all. ;-) And Damon doesn't expect Stefan to leave, obviously. No more than I think he expects Elena to go to bed with him; but he's not a fool, so he takes what he can get. [Wonderfully, as I was compiling this post, [THIS FIC](http://florencia7.livejournal.com/113480.html) by showed up on my f-list. It's delightful!]

I recently had a conversation with someone about what the creators of this show chose to give us visually with Damon and Elena's love scenes. So even though it's inter-cut with Stefan and Caroline's unfair (IMHO) assessment of what's going on, the fact remains that when Damon and Elena finally made love, we got so much. We got to see the connection between them, the expression of passion, the reciprocation of shared feelings--the flat-out love that exists between them. Regardless of _my_ love for this ship, what we were given in the visual medium was more than I ever expected or hoped for, and that alone made me certain that this is the "epic" love story on this show. The same can be said of the love scene at the beginning of episode 4x08 (#7 on this list), and I briefly mentioned it there. What we got with both scenes is a couple who are equals, who give and take with the same fervor, and neither of them have shared scenes like these with other people, even though we've seen them each be intimate with different partners. That meaning, for me anyway, overshadowed any displeasure that the sire bond probably should have made me feel, and upon rewatch, nothing changes. If anything, knowing what _will_ happen only makes these scenes more powerful and more beautiful, thus making me ship them even harder, if that's even possible at this point.

I also can't let the title of this episode pass by without a mention. I often think the writers are clever in their episode christening, but this one is probably my favorite ever because I've always loved Damon and Elena's bonding over their siblings. This is the cool, un-heavy-handed way of showing us that here they are again, trying to do right by their brothers, but they are essentially unable to; so they find solace with each other, and it's so beautiful.

 **Favorite Damon line** (it's a tie for this one, I just can't pick one): _Okay, I see Shady!Stefan's back,_ and _I've never seen you more alive._

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Caroline who sums it all up with, _But being a vampire only amplifies who you already are, it doesn't turn you into a completely different person._ And that is the truth. It's just that Elena has been hiding who she really is and what she really thinks for a long time.

**2) 4x15 "Stand By Me"**

I don't think anyone who watches this show with any regularity doubts what a great actress Nina Dobrev is. Watching her portray two different characters over the years has caused me many times to mentally shake myself and remember that it's just ONE actress, not two. She's truly amazing, and has been from the beginning. 

And then came "Stand By Me." 

There are a lot of small character things for each of the other actors to do that reinforces the depth and breadth of the theme of this episode as well as showcasing what great actors they themselves are. I mean, Caroline's desperate, pleading voice mails to Tyler never fail to invoke a sense of panic within me, and Matt's face when he first sees Jeremy's dead body never fails to make the tears start. Then there are Damon and Stefan with each of their frantic actions to try to deal with the situation: the one who historically stays steady in a crisis versus the one who freaks out a bit, understandably, but neither of them knows what to do. They are literally flying by the seats of their pants, and it's of course no wonder that Stefan's instruction of "help her, Damon" is so colossally _not_ what Stefan would have done should he have had the same power. Damon does seem to have a moment of clarity, too, resuming his tried and true method of making all the "hard decisions" and sticking to what he feels is right regardless of what anyone else thinks.

I would be remiss not to mention Bonnie, whose love for Jeremy has caused her to cross lines before, so going into this, it's not shocking that his death would lead her where it takes her. Ultimately, he's the only one who could, which is why Elena's and Bonnie's arcs are so interesting as they converge upon one another.

But it is Elena, and _all_ her grief (which isn't so much about her dead brother as it is about all her dead family members), that steals your breath and makes you look away from your television. For me, I couldn't even rewatch this episode for ages after it aired, and I always, always, _always_ watch each episode twice within 72 hours, give or take. But this one I couldn't watch again, not for a while, and even in preparation for this list and what I wanted to say about this episode, I had to mentally amp myself up, because it's so hard. So hard, so sad, and so powerful to watch Elena go through the stages of grief, reach her breaking point, and then cross over it. When she turns it all off, it's not just the lights going out, as Damon once described it, it's the sudden and visceral feeling of a bulb bursting and all the light draining away to utter blackness.

It is preparation for what is to come, and what's coming is pretty ugly for a girl who forgave one man for killing her brother in front of her and another for taking her back to the place her parents died, threatening to do the same to her. I address that elsewhere, but it's worth mentioning again: Elena without her humanity is hard to watch, because Elena's ever-shifting morality rarely superceded her kindness. 

**Favorite Damon line:** _Humanity means nothing when you don't have anybody to care about, Stefan._

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Caroline, who cries, _Elena, stop it, you're scaring me!_

**1a) 4x06 "We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes"**

Because I love this episode beyond all reason, and it is to Elena what my all time favorite episode 2x01 "The Return" is to Damon, I have to start by saying that if you see the parallel between Elena killing Jeremy to start herself on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance _and_ Damon killing Jeremy to begin the actual journey of Elena coming to accept and love Damon? It's just sheer poetry. She hates Damon after he kills her brother, for obvious reasons, and she hates herself for a plethora of reasons, but accidentally killing her brother is what will lead her to weigh the value of truly ending her life--so, just UGH. I love it, love it, LOVE it. 

Other things I love:

> [+] Damon trying to be all _I'm not your boyfriend, you shoulda called your boyfriend_ to Elena while her response is _you are the one I trust, you are the one I count on, Damon_.  
>  [+] Elena finally telling Stefan to piss off and quit lying, because that's been coming for like 66 episodes.  
>  [+] Klaus giving Tyler and Caroline privacy for their fake break-up. This is a recycled storyline from S2's Stefan and Elena, but done much better and for a good reason this go-round.  
>  [+] Damon cleaning Elena's kitchen,  <3.  
>  [+] Klaus knowing about Elena's hallucinations, and his own experience with the hunter's curse is just an awesome use of history. Add in the fact that Klaus never knew why it stopped happening and he had to endure it for so long--just great. You could almost feel sorry for him ;-) except, you know, that he's assholey-Klaus.  
>  [+] Jeremy becoming the next hunter, all good, all the time.  
>  [+] More Professor Shane, and our first lesson on Silas--where we learn that he had a beloved, but we have no idea what her name is or anything about her, other than she is not Quetsiya. But Quetsiya was a mean, vengeful bitch, was she not? He also says something very important about Silas here that we should keep in mind going into S5-- _it's been said that Silas wants to rise again, regain his power, and wreak havoc on the world._  
>  [+] Klaus's guest room with no windows is super nice.  
>  [+] Damon always gets a moment or two to pay tribute to Ric.  
>  [+] Klaus and Caroline, their flirting always ends in a death threat.  
>  [+] Elena impaling Stefan with the bedframe never gets old :D (especially when she apologizes for it later and he's all, _I probably deserved it_. YA THINK?)  
>  [+] Jeremy volunteering to stake Damon immediately never gets old, either.  
>  [+] Stefan sending Damon to help Elena--he (Stefan or Damon or both) will later convince himself it's the sire bond, but it's not. Anyone who has been watching the development of Damon and Elena's relationship knows that.  
>  [+] Stefan leading Jeremy to his first kill as a hunter leading to Tyler's anger at Caroline (and everyone) for not having any loyalty to the people he has loyalty too--all of that stuff is so great, because lines are drawn and loyalty between kinds is a big deal, obviously.  
>  [+] Matt and Damon having a bromancy-audition moment: PRICELESS. [Also, I just got that, _Matt Damon_. That would be their name squish, LOL!]

Elena's self-recriminitions in the form of Connor, Katherine and even the gentle presentation of Miranda, are simply the most brilliant commentary for this character ever. All the truths laid forth here are things that were such a long time coming, and that's why what happens in the next episode might feel fast, but it isn't really at all. Elena has suffered under the weight of private falsehoods since we met her--she should have died; she isn't worthy of life; she's terrified of being just like Katherine (she loves both brothers, you see), and being a vampire leads to only one place: Katherine Boulevard; she is responsible for everything bad that has ever happened, particularly to Bonnie; and conceptually, everything about vampires is bad, they are monsters and should not be allowed to exist, even though she has a lot of data that proves the opposite.

She's a monster and she deserves to die--and she's not just talking about being a monster since she was turned; she's talking about the monstrosity of her life: she killed her parents, killed Jenna, John, Grams, Ric, Connor and others. Elena's issues are traumatically deep and they have kept her from feeling true happiness for a long time. Even though Stefan was an oasis in a desert of misery, true happiness eluded both of them, because just as Stefan can't accept vampire!Elena, Stefan couldn't accept vampire!Stefan. But once Elena accepts herself, her next order of business? Accepting Damon, and his love. It's so poetic and lovely, I could cry thinking of it. He *dies* with her on Wickery Bridge, and when she wakes, the only thing she wants is him, period. She just wants him, and nothing is going to hold her back anymore.

And, finally, the Stefan-Elena break-up, which is one of my favorite moments between them ever. I know, I know, you think it's because I ship Damon and Elena, but really the reason I love it so is because they are finally being HONEST with each other. It's incredibly painful, poignant, and necessary to both of them. And that final touch, when Nina blinks and looks away from Paul after uttering that teary little, "I know"? That is tour de force acting. She's already put us through the wringer in this episode, but she still manages to gut us again with small, simple choices, making her performance so memorable. It's like watching Elena come to the conclusions she needs to come to makes this actress even better every time. Remember "Stand By Me"? That was this exact same result, going the opposite direction. GIVE HER ALL THE AWARDS!

 **Favorite Damon line:** _I'm about to take a very high, and annoying, road... And after he kills me for telling you this, I want you to throw my ashes off Wickery Bridge._

 **Favorite piece of dialogue** goes to Klaus, who says, _Caroline, you're beautiful, but if you don't stop talking, I will kill you._

**1b) 4x18 "American Gothic"**

This episode is _so entertaining_ for me. Like, so, so satisfying, on every level. There is so much _ensemble_ work, and it just always makes me sad that this show will never get the props it deserves. But on to specifics:

> [a] Katherine Pierce, she hasn't outsmarted Klaus for 500 years on her good looks alone; Rebekah's "clever girl" line about Miss Katherine might be the understatement of the year.  
>  [b] Stefan harassing Damon about being duped; the irony with which Damon good-naturedly receives this harassment is actual proof of his love for his brother. I mean, how many times has Stefan been the plan screwer upper? Give Damon a break!  
>  [c] *moment of complete shallowness* Ian Somerhalder in natural lighting = *ovaries blown*  
>  [d] Klaus's abject misery and pain turning out to be completely hallucinogenic? OMG, very freaky.  
>  [e] Katherine/Elena/Rebekah, the battle for HBIC, let it begin!  
>  [f] Real!Caroline and Klaus, giving me the feels again, I MUST RESIST!  
>  [g] Elijah and Katherine, CANON BABY! These are two "side" characters whose development has been desired so much, and then boom, we get this episode, where they are flawlessly inserted into the storyline, and we find out that so much was going on all along that we didn't get to see. I'd rather watch the _The Katherine and Elijah Show_ than _The Originals_ , to be honest.  
>  [h] Irony of ironies: Katherine controls the cure, calls it her "freedom," and will be forced to take it in just five episodes. Such a great, didn't-see-it-coming twist! Plus, she tells Elijah she can't remember who she was when they first met, but she wants to find out. So, technically, she gets her wish.  
>  [i] Rebekah pleading her case before Elijah is both horrifically sad and totally logical. Of all their plights, Beks' is the hardest one for me. Elijah is right, it is a romantic notion, but one can hardly fault Rebekah for having it. She's certainly seen all the other sides of life and none of them have been satisfactory.  
>  [j] Damon apologizes to Stefan; Stefan does not apologize to Damon, thus, I still want to wring his scrawny little neck.  
>  [k] Elena showing the Salvatores who's boss. Because we all know she is.

**Favorite Damon line:** _You're losing your touch, Evil One._

 **Favorite pieces of dialogue** goes to Katherine, who says, _When I say friend, I mean **FRIEND.**_ Of course, in all honesty, it's Damon, Stefan, and Rebekah's reaction to this line that makes it so perfect. The other is Elijah, in all his glory, who utters, _You listen to me, very carefully, Stefan; if anything whatsoever happens to Katherine, I will descend upon Elena._


End file.
